Blocking Social Media At Work – Is It A Good Idea?

Recent trends show that more and more companies choose to block social media in the workplace. The general idea behind making the social media fruit forbidden is that it negatively affects productivity. But is it really so?

The truth is, blocking social media is not an easy task. Yes, you can do that using various software programmes. But for every blocking programme, four more pop up that help get around the block. This is just how it works. Cell phones, laptops and tablets also make it easier to get around social media restrictions. And actually, employees end up spending more time figuring out how to surpass the imposed limitations, than they actually would spend checking the updates in their social media channels.

Secondly, productivity.  It is not a measure of time, as most people would think, but rather a measure of output. Simply speaking, if Tom is unproductive because he keeps watching funny videos on YouTube, there is very little chance he will be become a workaholic when the media is blocked. Probably, he will just find another way to entertain himself.

One more thing about productivity . Think about how much time your employees spend checking  work emails at home, answering work-related Skype messages or late international calls? Is it really fair then to deny them any forms of personal communication they may miss out on at work?

So where is the golden middle?

First, we have to admit that we live in the world on online networking and social media are here to stay. So instead of fighting innovation, perhaps we should learn to incorporate into our lives, turning it into a valuable business tool rather than a mindless time waster.